Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin today published an article titled “Returning Ethereum to Cypherpunk,” emphasizing that the deep-seated vision behind cryptocurrencies should not be to create isolated tools and games, but to comprehensively establish a more free and open society and economy.
Vitalik pointed out that starting around 2017, due to the increase in blockchain transaction fees, the majority left in the blockchain ecosystem were either wealthy individuals or gamblers. When they became the largest group of users of blockchain on a large scale, this would adjust the public’s perception and the internal culture of the cryptocurrency field, leading to many other negative effects we have seen over the past few years, including the gradual decline of the “pure Web3 spirit.”
Now, technologies such as Rollups, second-generation privacy solutions, account abstraction, zero-knowledge proofs, etc., are beginning to be implemented, and cryptocurrencies seem to have found an opportunity to rediscover the Cypherpunk spirit. In order to maintain the unique value of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, Vitalik proposed seven values for the Ethereum community and other ecosystems to reference.
Global Open Participation:
Anyone should be able to participate as a user, observer, or developer, enjoying maximum equality. Participation should not require permission.
Decentralization:
Minimize the reliance of applications on any single actor, so that even if core developers disappear permanently, the application should continue to operate.
Censorship Resistance:
Centralized actors should not have the ability to intervene in the operation of any user or application. Issues concerning bad actors should be resolved at a higher level of the stack.
Auditability:
Anyone should be able to verify the logic of an application and its ongoing operation (e.g., by running a full node) to ensure that it operates according to the rules set forth by the developers.
Trustless Neutrality:
The foundational infrastructure should remain neutral, and anyone should be able to see its neutrality even if they do not trust the developers.
Build Tools, Not Empires:
Empires try to trap users within walls, while tools complete tasks and interoperate with a broader open ecosystem.
Maintain a Cooperative Attitude:
Even in competition, projects within the ecosystem collaborate in areas such as shared software libraries, research, security, and community building that are mutually valuable to them. Projects seek to achieve harmony with each other and the broader world.
In addition, Vitalik also emphasized the importance of the technological and social aspects within the Ethereum ecosystem. Technological diversity and cooperation are crucial to Ethereum’s success, while the social aspect involves balancing incentives and values. The article mentioned that relying solely on incentive measures within protocols is not enough to ensure decentralization, and strengthening must be combined with the social aspect.
The social aspect of Ethereum not only values incentives but also emphasizes the warmth and cohesion of the community, while avoiding the risks brought by excessive community-driven initiatives. This balance and integration are key to achieving Ethereum’s vision in both economic and technical aspects.